CU quarterback Jordan Webb, can’t escape the pursuit of Cory James, gets sacked in the second quarter during the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

Regarding the Rocky Mountain Showdown, you’ll hear from players on both sides, from the Colorado perspective and from the Colorado State perspective, that a victory in the intrastate rivalry is critical to their season and can be an indicator for what the season may become.

For example:

“This game is important,” CSU offensive guard Brandon Haynes said of Sunday’s meeting at Sports Authority Field at Mile High, “because it’s a great way to start the season off, for momentum and stuff like that.”

That’s fine, and true to a point. Coaches say it’s easier for a team to learn and improve off a victory than it is off a loss.

However, research shows that a victory in the Rocky Mountain Showdown does not necessarily portend a successful season — for either side.

That’s especially the case when the Showdown is a team’s season opener.

Since the series resumed on an annual basis beginning with the 1995 game, Colorado has won eight times when the Showdown was CU’s season opener. Coming of those eight first-game victories over CSU, the Buffs have compiled an overall record of 49-49.

Colorado State has fared a bit better after defeating CU in the Rams’ season opener, but not by much.

Since 1995, CSU has four wins over the Buffs when the game was the Rams’ season opener. CSU’s overall record for those four seasons: 25-23.

FORT COLLINS – Colorado State running back Chris Nwoke returns to game action this week, fully healthy after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle.

He’s cleared for full practices, which begin today.

“We’ll see where he’s at,” CSU coach Jim McElwain said.

The junior starting running back should help provide a boost to CSU’s running attack, which has had its good moments but is generating just 3.1 yards per carry. Nwoke was getting 4.3 yards per carry before injuring himself in the team’s season opener against CU.

Nwoke ran for 1,130 yards and nine touchdowns last season.

Nwoke’s return is of particularly good timing because his primary replacement, Donnell Alexander, is very questionable for Saturday’s game against Utah State with a sprained ankle of his own.

“It would be a huge thing,” said offensive lineman Brandon Haynes of Nwoke’s return. “It’s encouraging because he’s coming back fresh off the injury, so he’ll be 100 percent. He’ll be Chris Nwoke again, powerful, running downhill. He’s gonna hit you in the mouth. It’s going to be nice to have him back.”

Bernard Blake (hamstring) remains questionable for the game. Momo Thomas (shoulder) is doubtful for the game. McElwain said the senior will be replaced on punt returns by freshman Joe Hansley, who is backed up by Lee Clubb, Thomas Coffman and Jasen Oden.

Defensive end John Froland (neck stinger) is still “not at 100 percent with his strength in whatever arm it is. But we do hope to get some third down, dime, nickel (out of him),” McElwain said. “But we’ve got to get that cleared. That’s a stinger issue that obviously you’ve got to be concerned about.”

Follow Chris Dempsey on Twitter @dempseypost or email him at cdempsey@denverpost.com

Comments Off on Chris Nwoke returns to practice, on track to play Saturday vs. Utah State

FORT COLLINS – Colorado State released its first depth chart today, and there were a few surprises contained within it. And they started with an area that had been taken for granted — the defensive alignment.

Early on it was made known CSU’s defense was switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 this season. Only, on the depth chart these are the front seven positions on defense: LDE, DT, DT, RDE, SLB, MLB, WLB.

Shaquil Barrett — a preseason all-conference selection at linebacker — is listed as a right defensive end, along with Broderick Sargent and Steven Michel.

CSU coach Jim McElwain has already said that Barrett, the team’s leading tackler from a year ago, would play both standing up and with his hand in the ground. The suggestion, however, was that he’d be a linebacker with the ability to put his hand in the ground, thus the team plays a 3-4.

FORT COLLINS — In 2011, the Colorado State Rams’ offensive line was the most injured, yet still surprisingly effective, area on the football team. Starters, Joe Caprioglio and Jared Baird both went down early with season-ending knee injuries.

Soon, the team was playing untested redshirt freshmen in Ty Sambrailo and Mason Hathaway. By the end of the season center Weston Richburg was playing his position with a broken right hand, snapping with his opposite hand.

The line graduated Paul Madsen and Jake Gdowski, but, in part because of the massive injuries suffered last season, brings back a host of players with game experience. After a year of patching things together, CSU now boasts one of the most experienced offensive lines in the Mountain West.

FORT COLLINS – Of all of the things Colorado State offensive coordinator Pat Meyer has wanted to do this season, finding more playing time for sophomore offensive lineman Brandon Haynes has been near the top of that list.

He promises to get that done on Saturday.

“I’m going to play Brandon Haynes at tackle this week; he’s a guard,” Meyer said. “He’s been kind of the heavy guy going in and out of games, playing some tight end, but he’s too good a player to play 10 snaps a game. There is not a team in this league that would not want Brandon Haynes to be a starting guard for them. It’s just I have a senior (Jake Gdowski) and I have a really good player (Jordan Gragert). I’ve got to find a way to play him.”

FORT COLLINS – Early in the week, Colorado State coach Steve Fairchild ran down a list of players that did not play in the season opener but would definitely see the field today.

Brandon Haynes was pretty much at the top of that list.

A knee injury set Haynes, a sophomore offensive guard, back during preseason camp and he was not recovered enough to play at New Mexico. Now, he is. And for the Rams, who want as much depth as possible on the offensive line, his addition is not just a welcome one but an anticipated one as well.

“Haynes is a guy that can play as much as anyone,” CSU offensive coordinator Pat Meyer said this week.

Haynes is listed behind starter Jake Gdowski on today’s depth chart. He’ll see his first action today with a clear mind.

“My knee feels good,” he said. “I’m able to do down blocks and move around pretty good, so I’m confident in it. I’ll say I’m extremely close to 100 percent. Before, it was pulling down the line, when I would plant on my hurt leg I would feel it being loose. But over time, getting the reps and all of that that just made me know what my knee is going to do and how it was going react to certain things.

“It was all just a mental thing before. But now I’m doing good. I’m excited very excited, been looking forward to this for a long time.”

Chris Dempsey: Twitter @dempseypost or cdempsey@denverpost.com

Comments Off on A healed Haynes excited to show CSU he’s ready for prime time

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.